]]>https://theprwriter.com/2019/05/22/two-more-reviews-for-better-writer-book/feed/01483The first reviews for How To Be A Better Writer are in!https://theprwriter.com/2019/05/17/the-first-reviews-for-how-to-be-a-better-writer-are-in/
https://theprwriter.com/2019/05/17/the-first-reviews-for-how-to-be-a-better-writer-are-in/#respondFri, 17 May 2019 19:56:08 +0000https://theprwriter.com/?p=1472

Pizza Pizza trades iconic orange for white to celebrate home sl-ice advantage for Jets in Winnipeg

Local people in white and a white Queen

This news release displays several significant errors: it bases the story on the Jets’ local whiteout tradition but fails to explain to outsiders that it means dressing in white to support the team; there are also many unnecessary extra words, especially ‘for, in and of.’ The headline indicates that there is white involved but the subhead and lead do not.

‘Iconic orange turns white’ works better than ‘trades iconic orange for white’ as it eliminates the ‘for,’ saving a word, and is more active – ‘turns’ instead of ‘trades.’ Of course, Winnipeg Jets is far superior to ‘Jets in Winnipeg.’ Concise counts in headlines.

Original subhead: Canadian company joins in age old tradition as a proud partner of the Winnipeg Jets

The proud white out tradition

The subhead is confusing and somewhat obscure. Unless you are from Winnipeg, the ‘age-old’ tradition is meaningless. It dates from 1987 so is hardly ‘age-old’ anyway. ‘Proud partner of the Winnipeg Jets’ easily becomes ‘proud Winnipeg Jets partner,’ easily eliminating ‘of.’ Canadian company not exactly necessary when it is identified above but I’d leave it because marketers here like to stress Canadian origins, as if that stops someone from patronizing competitors.

Even in news releases, the journalistic practice of avoiding misunderstandings is essential here; this subhead is longer but clearer:

Canadian company and proud Winnipeg Jets partner turns stores white to be part of local dressing-in-white hockey tradition

Original lead

Go Jets Go! As the Winnipeg Jets get set to host their first home game as part of the 2019 NHL playoffs, proud partner, Pizza Pizza, is already displaying tremendous signs of team spirit in the local community by participating in the tradition of the Winnipeg Whiteout. With 12 restaurants across Winnipeg, Pizza Pizza has been a household staple for Winnipeggers since 2009 and understands what gets the community excited; a huge part of that is the love for the Winnipeg Jets. 82 words

PR Writer Edit

Go Jets Go! As the Winnipeg Jets host their first NHL 2019 playoff home game, proud partner Pizza Pizza is already displaying tremendous local team spirit by participating in the Winnipeg Whiteout tradition. With 12 arearestaurants trading orange for white colors, Pizza Pizza, a Winnipeg household staple since 2009, and understands how much the love for the Jets excites the community. 65 words

Eliminating 17 words from the lead and keeping the same meaning demonstrates the corpulence of the first version. Some word pairs, with the original first:

1. Get set to host…host

2. Their first home game as part of the 2019 NHL playoffs… their first NHL 2019 playoff home game

3. Tremendous signs of team spirit in the local community… tremendous local team spirit

4. By participating in the tradition of the Winnipeg Whiteout… by participating in the Winnipeg Whiteout tradition

5. With 12 restaurants across Winnipeg, Pizza Pizza has been a household staple for Winnipeggers since 2009… With 12 arearestaurants trading orange for white colors, Pizza Pizza, a Winnipeg household staple since 2009

In this continuing perspective on PR tools, one of the most important and overlooked ones is how to build media relationships. If you consider what is a media relations strategy, then you understand the importance of how these tools pertain to many facets of life, including getting a job, team building and strengthening client relationships. These will be covered in successive posts. What are media relations? Glad you asked! Here are 10 PR tools for building and succeeding with media contacts in 2019, seven essential pitch letter tips and 12 suggestions for making the pitch project more successful. (Or look at this classic Forbes story on how NOT to write a pitch letter).

Most important overall tip: getting to know media.This always seems the most daunting, especially to younger PR professionals. There are two parts to this: the first is technical. Keeping track of the movements, shutdowns, transfers, closures, firings and general decimation of the conventional media. It’s difficult to do this but once you do identify someone who can be helpful to your client or organization, set up a Google alert; it’s not just for companies, it’ll track people too. If you have become a media relations specialist, this is very useful in these troubled times for media.

In my Chicagodays, there were certain bars where real journalists hung out – Billy Goat’s, and O’Rourke’s, for example. The social scene was vigorous and media relations often were of the intimate sort. However, that’s a bygone day. Now there is dispersion among media survivors, not to mention overwork for those who are left.

But what about once someone is identified as a contact? Why are media relations important — how do you get to know them? here are 10 important tips:

The best way to understand media relationsis to follow what an individual does diligently. Get to know them as well as they know themselves. How do you do that?

First, read everything the personpublishes, both in their home media and on all social assets. What does this accomplish?

The best pitchis an informed pitch.

The media target is essentiallya stranger. But it’s your job to get inside their heads. Being an expert on their writing and social comments develops a view into their minds. This in turn helps learning not only how to best pitch them, but also more importantly how to become a trusted source by helping them find other stories.

People in the media, frustrated and overworked, fatigued with PR pitches and phone calls, rarely have the chance to pursue the stories they’d like to cover, much less come up with ideas to find something original.

It’s not just topicsto write about but background information that will help the frazzled journalist add background, stimulate other ideas, or find out new facts they might not have considered previously.

It’s easy to saythere are too many journalists to engage in this kind of research. Your targets are way too numerous.

Clearly, that’s possiblebut there is definitely a short list of those who can help you the most. And if it works out well, branch out to others.

It is, however definitely worth a try. It’s been very successful for many PR pros, as a principal PR tool.

Writing pitch letters is often considered a chore but are a necessity as a media relations specialist. They show the journalist what the story might look like, even though it’s cast in PR terms. Few understand, however, that the pitch letter and the news release are interconnected and must reinforce each other. The pitch letter is the door opener, and the news release contains the news. Here are the seven tips.

The subject line is like a headline. As with news releases, make it punchy and memorable. It might be the only item read about the story. Don’t just write one; create one and make it work. Especially if you are requesting attendance at a press event, give those writers or editors a really good reason to get up out of their chairs and get out of the office to attend your event.

In the first paragraph tell journalists why the story is incredibly compelling and what exactly what you want them to do. Come to an event, schedule an interview, review a product, with time and place it will occur. It’s one of the most concise pieces of writing to be prepared. It also must comply with news basics, especially timeliness, roses in summer, earmuffs in winter.

Use a first name with journalists. Not Mr. or Ms. Too formal, A first name elevates the writer to their level, presenting you as a peer who is providing legitimate information needed to do their job. Personalize the rest of the story so the recipients feel it’s aimed at them, not some giant horde.

Use the second paragraph to illuminate the story. What are the other details of the event or product that adds to its newsworthiness?

The third paragraph is the what else that either provides an additional angle. Who else will be there? What else might provide a reason to attend? In the last paragraph, set out the terms and conditions, such as is the invite transferable. If with a celebrity, is security involved?

And then say when you will call to follow up and do it!

Last but not least, make sure it’s absolutely clear where to find you. Even though nine times out of ten, communicators are following up, sometimes the reporter does pick up the phone. If the idea is good enough.

The day then comes when the journalist answers the telephone and the PR pro launches into the pitch. There is an art to the pitch.

My Humber Collegestudents would often ask, what is the best order for pitching? Should you just call or what? My suggestions:

Send a pitch letter

Call but don’t make reference to having sent a pitch.

More often than not, the reporters and editors, if they answer the phone, will say can you send me a pitch?

Never ever say, ‘Hey, I already did.’

Have a news release ready to go if it’s requested.

Now the day has come: the pitch says you will phone, and you do. And to your great surprise, the reporter answers the phone. Make sure you are cool, calm and collected and ready to pitch. The first question is always—how do I identify myself? Here are 12 tips to make it an easier process.

Don’t spend too much time on explaining who you are by providing your full name and that of the agency and the client. By then you’ve lost them.

Most scientific accounts say that people can tell almost instantly whether they will like someone or not. Imagine you are sitting next to someone in a bar. Turn your head and you know. Immediately. Go or no go.

The same with journalists. If someone is fumbling and comes up with a whole long background about who they are, and the story still isn’t clear, the moment is lost.

Get to the story right away. It’s often called an elevator pitch. Can you describe the entire story in 15-20 seconds? It’s the human time span for understanding new information. Practice is over and over until it’s internalized, which leads to:

NEVER read your pitch. A huge turn off. Know the story and be natural. Think of it as talking to a friend.

If the reaction isn’t great, be prepared with other angles.

Listen carefully; sometimes the reporter has accepted the idea and PR people are so busy pitching they don’t pick it up.

If it is accepted, make sure you have all the assets to be provided at your fingertips. For example, know the times the spokesperson can talk to the reporter. Have a product sample and a means to deliver it if you are pitching a product.

The trick question, especially to new PR people, is who else are you pitching, i.e., competitors? Have an answer ready.

The other trick question is ‘is it an exclusive.’ While sometimes it is, avoid agreeing to that at all possible costs. It’s just a form of bullying.

While it’s very depressing to get ‘no’ for an answer, don’t give up right away. At least ask why the pitch doesn’t work, or what else you might do as a follow up.

For more help with your news release or pitch letter, contactThe PR Writer.

I don’t care what anyone says – the news release is alive and well is one of the most important PR Tools. Here are some press release tips and my newest thinking in how to write a news release.

Its purpose is clear: inform the media. Provide greater exposure and credibility for your business. Add to SEO. If a magazine, newspaper, or online publication picks up your story, the benefits are enormous. Without a press release, there is no story.

Why is publicity so credible and so different from advertising? In an age of influencers and social media, let’s remind ourselves that third-party (media or social platform) endorsements are alive and well, too. The general population is more likely to trust a third-party source such as reviewer, columnist, or reporter. The believable third party delivers the information. In advertising the advertiser controls the message. Consumers know it’s a paid advertisement and they may be skeptical of the claims being made.

To create a press release that catches the attention of a journalist here are some basic tips you should follow when writing your press release.

1. Use the correct press release format.

For a release to be taken seriously it must be easy to read. With all the correspondence editors receive, they usually to publish or not as a snap judgment. There are many acceptable formats. Even so, try these press release tips; They have worked for the PR Writer.

Brands are important. Highlight them in all releases. Include logos, taglines, and important identifying information like how to reach you so media can follow up – though it will be mostly you making the calls. Even dates are important, allowing editors to confirming that it’s timely and check when it was released.

2. Press release headline tips: Grab their attention.

Write a strong, attention-grabbing headlinein one line or less. The normal rules of grammar do not apply in headlines. Headlines must be compressed tightly. A classic example is Headless Body in Topless Bar. Notice there is no verb or words like the or an. Use strong powerful verbs. Study tabloid newspaper headline styleand it’s all explained there. Everything happens in life in 15 seconds – you can decide a mate or accept a news release – make those 15 seconds count in a headline.

3. How to write a press release: make sure your story is newsworthy

Before you begin, ask the following questions:

Would anyone outside my organization care about this announcement?

Is this story relevant AND interesting to my target audience?

If you have answered an honest ‘yes’ to these questions, then keep going. If not, put the press release away. Wait until there is something worthwhile to release. Otherwise, you lose credibility with journalists. They have been sent too many un newsworthy press releases.

4. More press release guideline tips: Include the date

Include the dateline. Tell the media where the press release comes from, or where your company is located. It’s especially important for regional magazines or when announcing an event. The Associated Press Stylebookor similar Canadian Pressversion are the go-to guide how to write a news release.

Next is the lead and body of your press release. The lead, or first sentence, is just as crucial as the headline. It should also recap the headline; it is connected to the headline. In effect, the news in the headline must be found in the lead. It should be full of information and answer most, if not all, of the 5 Ws. (Who, what, when, where, why and how) It should leave your reader wanting more.

Journalism writing, short and to the point must be concise and without fluff. Keep it short; one page is usually more than enough. Save the creativity and humor for feature stories. Use quotations to reinforce your main point.

Remember, a journalist may end up using your quote in their story word for word. Make sure it includes the release’s main message and that it sounds like a real person. Think about it: does it sound like something that person would say? If quoting someone in your organization, person better know their stuff – and answer any media requests.

5. Make connecting easy.

It’s usually good to end with your company’s boilerplate statement. Every company should have a general boilerplate statement that describes the company. A few sentences that summarize the company’s history and offerings can go along way if you use it consistently.

Again, be sure to include your contact information for follow-up. When sending your release to media representatives, it is usually best to copy and paste it into the message of an e-mail. Most editors will not open attachments from unknown sources.

6. Additional press release guidelines: Figure out who is most likely to pick up your story

Constantly changing, and shrinking terribly and sadly, the media landscape is difficult to keep up with and keep track of who is working (or not working) — and where. Maintaining media lists and keeping up with all the media moves is nearly impossible. That’s why a trustworthy media contact database that is constantly reviewed and updated is worth its weight in gold. There are a few companies like Cision that provide searchable data bases, But before picking one, make sure it includes the desirable regional, global or industry publications. Check how they ensure their information is up to date, although even in days of media stability that was almost always out of date.

7. Go beyond the wire

Your job isn’t over once you’ve sent out a release on the wire. Reach out to a few of the journalists or influencers and send an email about your release — paste your release into the email with a short summary. Include images or links to videos that provide more details, but no attachments. Files clogging inboxes won’t win any friends.

8. Press Release format

Show you know who you’re pitching, so press releases looks less like mass e-mails. Change up the subject line and first paragraph depending on what industry the magazine is targeting. The principle is:

Make it as easy for journalists in whatever you do. They must generate ideas and work rapidly; include other article/post ideas—just a headline and quick description and how you can help. Incorporate different viewpoints and products in addition to your own.

For a release to be worthwhile outside of just being company news, it must connect to larger trends happening globally. Connect your news to the bigger picture. Add value. How is this news is relevant beyond the release itself? What does it mean to customers and consumers?

9. Press Release Tips: story within the story

Find the story within the story. If you are giving a charitable donation highlight the charity and explain what it plans to do with the funds, explain and how it might make a difference. Include photos of the donation. Think in terms of providing a package of storytelling, quotes, and photos to make a reporter’s life easy.

10. Tips for Writing a Press Release: research

Before writing the press release, research should be done on what the media has been covering in recent weeks or months. Re-angle your press release to discuss how your new product, service, or award is relevant to the issue. Remember that journalists don’t care about your product or your company (unless you are an industry giant), so you have to make them understand the value of your press release in the context of the whole industry.

Coda

Proofread your press release — and make it grammatically flawless. Let some others read it as well — before sending it out. Even a single mistake can dissuade a reporter from taking it seriously.

If you’d like to more or I can help you, click on the contactpage. I will respond right away.

Although the PR profession is well established, most people still mostly have little or no idea what do PR people do and what public relations tools they use? They wonder what a typical day is like, and what is the work of PR and what are PR skills. All the negative stereotypes come forward — spinmeister, flack and today even liar. In addition, where dissembling even at the highest levels of government has become a daily practice, misunderstanding about PR people is at highest level ever. Even Richard Nixon looks like an honest man in the age of Trump.

PR specialists have many activities but its most important is managing reputations, for without positive public acceptance, there will be reluctance to buy products and services from companies with very poor reputations. I hate to keep bringing this up, but the Trump brand is forever sullied due to what has been exposed in Washington about malfeasance, corruption and dishonesty. That’s the last time I will mention that name in this story.

How do you become a PR person?

A career in PR demands something important: gaining understanding and support for clients, as well influencing public opinion and behaviour. What does that require? A keen understanding both of clients and the public. What makes them tick is essential; how to act as the bridge between both is the PR person’s role. This is the most important answer to the question what do PR people do?

Although PR and marketing can be very similar, their goals significantly vary. PR efforts, boosting or protecting brand reputation, may not always have an impact on sales. PR professionals create contact and often use indirect means, such as promoting brands through press release writing and speaking at industry events, However, marketing campaigns only drive sales – their only purpose. Nothing else. Instead improving public perceptions, marketing focuses on driving revenue and boosting profits – while not damaging reputations.

Understanding media is the key to PR success. That hasn’t changed with the advent of social media, which if anything has enhanced the idea of media savvy’s overwhelming importance.

Media builds, maintains and manage client reputations. It also manages practitioners’ images as we as individuals are as much a brand as are corporations, public entities or services, and charitable organizations.

What PR pros do is communicate are key messages to defined publics establishing – specific influential groups. With the key publics or targets audiences identified, the communicators maintain goodwill and understanding between an organization and the target audiences. Once media is engaged, it must be PR professionals must monitor it constantly. Research discovers the stake holders concerns and expectations and whether the media strategy is working. You’ll then report and explain the findings to its management. PR specialists deal with many kinds of media; this is a major distinction between it and advertising. Here are a few types:

Media: Owned vs. Paid vs. Earned

Public relations can be split into three categories: owned, paid, and earned media. Each works towards the same reputation-building goal but use different strategies to get there.

Guess what? Your PR skills should include using all three.

Owned Media

Defined as any content that you control, owned media is often the go-to strategy for businesses looking to build a PR campaign.

And, rightly so: It’s arguably the most important type of PR-related media that you should be focusing on because you have total control (unlike the other two tactics).

Owned media can range from:

Social media posts

Blog content

Website copy

It has the aim of acting as a virtual home for your PR activity. People writing about your brand or products are likely to reference owned media in their own coverage.

Paid Media

You likely already know that paying to promote your content is pretty standard in the marketing world. That’s no different when it comes to PR.

Paid media refers to paying to make your content visible. It’s common practice for PR professionals to promote owned media, and can be done through:

Social media advertising

Influencer marketing

Pay-per-click (PPC)

Putting funds behind PR content is becoming increasingly popular. Since the majority of social platforms are reducing organic reach for business accounts, it’s a fantastic way to make sure your content gets in front of the people you want to see it.

Another part of the work of PR: Earned Media

This PR strategy that comes through word of mouth. Defined as the tactic to boost conversation around your brand to the target audience, there’s a chance that you’re already collecting earned media from your owned content.

But, earned media is the hardest type of PR strategy to execute. That’s because you need to do something before you can get it. It takes a lot of effort and hard work — hence why it’s “earned”.

Having said that, earned media is the best tactic to build your reputation.

There’s an old saying: “Advertising is what you pay for, publicity is what you pray for.”

Advertising is paid media; public relations is earned media. This means you engage in media contact to convince reporters or editors to write a positive story about you or your client, your candidate, brand or issue. It appears in the editorial section of the magazine, newspaper, TV station or website, rather than the “paid media” section where advertising messages appear. So your story has more credibility because it was independently verified by a trusted third party, rather than purchased.

What else do PR people do?

They tell the story of your brand/company:

PR professionals are empowered with the task of growing, guiding, and managing the consumer/stakeholder perception of your brand/company and the message received about your brand by these groups. PR professionals aid the marketing and advertising campaigns by adding an extra layer of substance to the message received by the consumer through articles, press releases, statements, events and comment through the media.

When you read a news article, hear a radio spot from a DJ or journalist, read about an event or new product in your local magazine or newspaper, the chances are there is a PR professional behind that interaction creating that angle and message and guiding the way you receive it.

PR pros are your brand’s voice brand in print, radio, TV and online; they create a rich history and story that they share through the media.

PR specialists shape the debate / manage crisis situations.

Think of the hundreds of job losses made through downsizing. Large corporations are now relying largely on their PR teams to help them shape the debate, take the mostly negative spin away from the severe job loss and inform and guide the consumer to the truth and reasoning behind the redundancies. PR professionals in this case give a “voice” to the corporation and its decision and allow the consumer an insight into the minds of the company. They get two sides to the story, and hopefully balance the negative and positive.

Generally, PR professionals aim to get the most accurate and positive news out to the consumer about their brand, but there is always an element of negative to be managed about any brand. How that is managed by the media and in turn interpreted by the consumer, is guided by the PR professionals.

They write, and write, and write.

After identifying key messages and strategic direction for brand/company, PR professionals work out exactly what message, story, event, angle or news piece to deliver. Then… they write. Writing is a massive portion of the PR professionals’ role. Writing fact sheets, news releases, media pitches, positioning statements, white papers, PowerPoint presentations, op-ed pieces, web copy, blog posts, ad copy, speeches and holding statements, event results and captions. Every single one of these methods offers just one more opportunity to shape and guide the message given to the public. You better love writing if you want to succeed in PR.

They plan events.

Events are a wonderful way to unite a consumer, get the public to interact with your brand, and get the media involved. PR events range from an ice cream truck for the local community, to getting thousands of people and media to a politician’s rally. These events are a further way to spread a positive message and sentiment about brands to the public, communicate news about a new product or story, and give the consumer news. The pre, during and post publicity for these events provide the PR professional with multiple touch points and ways to bring their view to the consumer.

They engage in media contact.

PR professionals have to form strong relationships with media, developing media contact skills to pitch stories and angles to them on a daily basis. Usually this activity derives from targeted media lists. To reach a target audience, PR tools include developing as many angles as possible, and find reporters from as many beats as possible to cover their story. The most memorable and creative pitches result in positive coverage. Knowing media and having those relationships in place is one of the key measures of a successful PR professional. It requires constantly keep abreast of many types of media.

They find advocates.

The best ambassador for your brand or organization is your consumer’s best friend, idol or respected leader. If your friend tells you to use brand X over brand Y, you’re likely to take their advice, right? Well, it’s the same with PR. Finding and forming alliances with ambassadors who can share the brand/ company message in their own way, from their heart is far more effective than you telling them via a TV advert. Think Leonardo DiCaprio and Al Gore sharing their voice to Live Earth, or Hamish McDonald and Carrie Bickmore on The Project pushing for a cause, a brand they trust or an organization they believe in. You trust them; you listen…

They tell the truth.

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, it’s tempting to skip steps, make assumptions, and push the button on a story before the facts are checked. Sometimes PR professionals are criticized for pushing the boundary of the truth just to get positive coverage for their company. Don’t be tempted to take shortcuts that will undermine your credibility with your team, client, or employers. Tell the truth over the sake of a good story.

They educate themselves.

PR professionals have one of the best jobs on the planet. Public relations professionals claimed the number 41 spot a recent list and it’s easy to see why. They have to be articulate, well read, and intelligent. They need to understand and care deeply about the subject matter they represent to get anywhere. They have to keep up on current events, read the newspaper, and know about what’s going on in the world. They have to be across their target market, get into the minds of the best business journalist and their public and work out how best to approach them.

PR people are storytellers. They create narratives to advance their agenda. PR can be used to protect, enhance or build reputations through the media, social media, or self-produced communications. A good PR practitioner will analyze the organization, find the positive messages and translate those messages into positive stories. When the news is bad, they can formulate the best response and mitigate the damage.

This is the second in a series of important PR tools that will help in content marketing, social media and media contact. The derive from the contention that the top online PR tools are very helpful. But if the content isn’t readable, and contains extra verbiage, repeated and unnecessary words, then all the PR strategy in the world won’t help it.

The ideas are based on excerpts from my forthcoming book, How to be a better online writer overnight. Some of its essential lessons are here. Follow this series and it will help you in whatever content or copy that’s created. Useful guides are also the AP Style in the U.S. and CP Style in Canada.

PR Tool #1: eliminate ‘in, at and located in’

In most writing, locations are mentioned, especially when it involves media contact. Apart from using fewer words to describe locations, it’s also worth studying what are the proper abbreviations for states, cities and provinces. There is even a correct way to refer to the U.S. The first reference is United States, the second is U.S. Never the United States of America in writing for earned media.

The Essential Lesson is: turn locations into adjectives. This is especially useful as an internal PR tool, when writing about company offices.

A.A recent article in the Washington Post highlights emerging health care issues stating that the District of Columbia ranks last when it comes to timely access.

Essential tip: If it’s a newspaper story, then it doesn’t need to be described as an article. ‘When it comes to’ is superfluous; replace with ‘in.’

Location

Many writers starting a career in content marketing are dependent on the actual word “location” to describe places. This is, however, redundant. It will make the PR effort much easier if this is applied:

A.Apple Inc., which is located (or based or headquartered) in Cupertino, will be introducing a new iPhone this fall.

B.Cupertino’s Apple Inc.

Or as simple as:

B.My friend would like to find a good Paris hotel.

All of the examples reduce words and increase clarity.

This applies to dates also. Take a look at this sentence:

Fidel Castro led the Cuban revolution and was an excellent media contact.

Original and edit

A.Relations between Cuba and the U.S. have remained hostile since they were initially shatteredwith the Cuban Revolution in 1959, which eventually led to an embargo on imports from Cuba in 1960.32 words

B.Relations between Cuba and the U.S. have remained hostile since the 1959 Cuban Revolution initially shattered them; that led to the 1960 import embargo. 24 words

Commentary

There are several points to consider

·The first is what is the sentence’s subject.

·As written, it’s as if it’s ‘between Cuba and the U.S.,’ which would of course require ‘has.’

·But it’s not; it’s relations, which requires ‘have.’

Then look at this pair:

·Since they were initially shattered with the Cuban Revolution in 1959

oSince the 1959 Cuban Revolution initially shattered them

Let’s look then at dates. If you start to write a phrase with a date, see if the date can modify the subject it covers. Both dates can be moved.

A.With the Cuban Revolution in 1959

B.With the 1959 Cuban Revolution…

A.On imports from Cuba in 1960

B.That led to the 1960 Cuban import embargo (as a semi-colon clause).

Try these tools for PR professionals and correct these sentences:

The performance will take place onWednesday, June 17 at 10 a.m.in the Moos Gallery located at 622 Richmond Street West.

The performance will take place on Wednesday, June 17 at 10 a.m. in the Moos Gallery, 622 Richmond Street West.

A.He lives in an old home located on Main Street.

B.He lives in an old Main Street home.

A

Mindy Kaling, who graduated from the Ivy League Dartmouth College, is most well known for her work on The Office.

On July 15 at 11:00 a.m, famous comedian Mindy Kaling will be on location at Indigo for a press conference about her upcoming novel, “Why Not Me?”

On July 15 at 11:00 a.m, famous comedian Mindy Kaling will hold a press conference at Indigo to discuss her upcoming novel, “Why Not Me?”

(‘Will hold a press conference’ is better than ‘will be at Indigo for a press conference).

Would love to hear some feedback on this idea; go to the contact form and send me a note or reach me@rotmanprwriter.

Do a quick Google search for PR Tools and there are many posts devoted to what’s available on line that will help distribute and track PR information or locate new PR outlets. It’s surprising how much there is to discover about PR activities. Even though discussions of content and how to make it better are minimal.

Those more interested in social media will point to SEMrush for key word research (which I use and can vouch for), Ahrefsfor backlinks, Moz, an all purpose SEO wizard or FirstSiteGuide for web performance analysis.

There are also many PR tools for writing. But not necessarily for content.

Top PR tools for writing

The most well-known PR Tool for writing is Grammarly. As its website states, “Grammarly is an online grammar and spelling checker that improves communication by helping users find and correct writing mistakes.”

Before starting, set a session length –minutes or words. Write and don’t stop. Hesitate for more than five seconds, and it deletes everything. Complete your session, and it saves your work. The idea is to make you write and not stop.

The Hemingway Editor App offers an extra and impartial pair of eyes to check work. An interactive editing tool, it highlights grammatical errors, excessive passive voice, complex sentences and common mistakes. Word count and a readability scores are there too. Interestingly, Hemingway, the great author, is undergoing some reassessment in light of #metoo. Why do we still read him, the Daily Beast recently asked.

The great writer still stirs controversy

What’s needed before using those PR tools

At the same time, while there are writing tools, they don’t answer the fundamental question: if you get readers there what are you going to say—and how are you going to say it? Not only that, does it fit within generally accepted character counts for titles, tags, headlines and even copy? Too often all those are ignored, with all the flabby writing out there.

This story about Top 10 PR Tools, from the writing perspective will launch a PR Writer series. It will focus on the content and how to get people to read it before all those other tools, available to all, can be deployed. No one wants to look at big seas of copy and long grey pages. And now that we have Google to contend with in all that we do there are even specific rules to follow.

To make content, shorter and more readable, some simple PR Tools apply. There are different kinds of tools for different types of public relations and we will cover many of them.

Here is the #1 PR better writing Tool

Eliminate extra words is a PR Writer rule

Get to know what they are and find ways to eliminate them. It’s the simplest words that can easily be eliminated.

The first word to eliminate is: You

Writers are very dependent on ‘you.’ It appears to personalize copy, addressing the reader but actually wastes space and time. It is a ‘crutch’ word, one that props up bad writing but is meaningless and can be eliminated.

In this example, focusing on You, 129 words are reduced to 91, a whopping 37% less. Each sentence will be broken apart and then reconstructed.

Original

Event Planners are constantly on-the-go. Travelling is no doubt an exciting part of this career, but it can also be an overwhelming one. Sometimes you have to mentally pack so you spend as little time as possible actually doing it before or after work, with a 50% chance of forgetting a necessity like your toothbrush, comfiest shoes or portable charger. Never mind having time to research “things to do” or “where to eat” wherever you may be going. On the flip side, if you have time, you likely over pack as you dive into your what may seem, bottomless closet and think “I might wear this”, only to end up wearing 25% of what you packed and wishing you left room in your luggage to bring home new things. 129 words

PR Writer edits story

Event Planners are constantly on-the-go. Travelling, an exciting part of this career, can be overwhelming. Mentally packing sometimes and spending less time actually shoving things into a carry-on reduces the 50% chance of forgetting necessities like toothbrushes, comfy shoes or portable chargers. Never mind researching the destination’s “things to do” or “where to eat.” On the flip side, most over pack, diving into what may seem like a bottomless closet, thinking “I might wear this,” ending up wearing little of it, wishing there was more room to bring home new things. 91 words

Story is deconstructed and reconstructed

Sentence one

Original

Event Planners are constantly on-the-go. Travelling isno doubt an exciting part of this career, but itcan alsobe anoverwhelming one.

Edit

Event Planners are constantly on-the-go. Travelling, an exciting part of this career, can be overwhelming.

Comments

The first sentence is left intact. But ‘is, but it, also, an and one’ were eliminated in the second. Some 18 words became 10. How is that possible?

Look at the changes:

A. Travelling is no doubt an exciting part of this career

B. Travelling, an exciting part of this career

The solution:

First, we turned ‘travelling is’ into a comma clause. When there’s an ‘is,’ it almost always can be eliminated.

A. but it can also be an overwhelming one.

B. can be overwhelming.

Here eight words are reduced to three, quite fantastic. The comma clause ‘an exciting part of this career’ then meets up with ‘can be overwhelming.’ It doesn’t need ‘one’ as it’s clear that the ‘career’ is overwhelming.’

Sentence two is reduced from 37 to 27 words

Sometimes you have to mentally pack so you spend as little time as possibleactually doing itbefore or after work, with a 50% chance of forgetting a necessity like your toothbrush, comfiest shoes or portable charger. 37 words

Mentally packing sometimes and spending less time actually shoving things into a carry-on reduces the 50% chance of forgetting necessities like toothbrushes, comfy shoes or portable chargers. 27 words

A. Sometimes you have to mentally pack

B. Mentally packing sometimes

Now that ‘you’ has been cued up as a word to eliminate, clearly ‘you have to mentally pack’ changes to ‘mentally packing sometimes.’ Then the next example becomes clear:

A. you spend as little time as possible actually doing itbefore or after work

B. spending less time actually shoving things into a carry-on

‘You spend as little time’ becomes ‘spending less time.’

Actually doing it before or after work actually shoving things into a carry-on

In this example, the editor took liberties with the copy, as editors sometimes do. ‘Doing it’ is non-specific and needs a detail—into a carryon. And ‘before and after work’ takes in all the free time available and is also non-specific and unnecessary. The time doesn’t matter but shoving it into a carry on provides a detail.

This is one of my favourite writing compression tips. Pluralize where possible. It eliminates ‘a’ and ‘your.’ It’s now ‘toothbruses,’ so it follows that shoes, which is already plural is added to charger, which isn’t.

Sentence Four

A. Never mind having time to research “things to do” or “where to eat” wherever you may be going.

B. Never mind researching the destination’s “things to do” or “where to eat.”

The point of these exercises are to say the same things in fewer words. Note how ‘never mind having time to’ becomes ‘never mind researching.’ And ‘wherever you may be going’ is simply implied, based on the research.

Sentence Five

A. On the flip side, if you have time, you likely over pack as you dive into your what may seem, bottomless closet and think “I might wear this,” only to end up wearing 25% of what you packed and wishing you left room in your luggage to bring home new things. 52 words. Eight uses of ‘you’ or ‘yours.’

B. On the flip side, most over pack, diving into what may seem like a bottomless closet, thinking “I might wear this,” ending up wearing little of it, wishing there was more room to bring home new things. 38 words. Not one ‘you.’

Additional thoughts and final remarks. Extra words mean extra characters and more time reading the essential marketing message. Start with ‘you.’ To see how it’s done, go to The PR Writer blog and look at all the other exampl

A billboard in the wilderness is like a tree falling in the forest. Does anyone know it’s there? How can anyone find it?

The most important writing skills

Search engine optimization and earned media have become a content provider’s most important skills. From a business perspective, get search right, and you connect with that most wonderful thing of all, a new customer. Get it wrong, and the potential customer will locate the competition and your market share and business will suffer.

However, writing for social media like Instagram, Facebook or Twitter or websites or blogs must be short and concise. It’s intended for reading on phones and tablets and even smaller media like wearables. Too often it is not concise, full of excess verbiage. The ultimate goal, reducing word and space count while retaining the same meaning, cannot be ignored. No one but no one, wants to read big online copy blocks. It is such a turnoff.

There are two important skills to master: reducing unnecessary words and spaces while optimizing tags for search. There must be a compelling message across within predefined character limits.

The Internet frees content limitations

In some ways the Internet has freed content limitations. A web location, a landing page, or YouTube video could be as lengthy as the creator would like. On one hand, this has freed up marketers to tell their full story. Alternatively, it’s handcuffed content creators with character limit restrictions that are even more confining than television, radio or print. Yet ever since marketing began, there has been limited space. Whether it was a newspaper or magazine advertisement or a 15- or 30-second television spot, marketers have been challenged. They must get the most amount of pertinent information across, with a compelling call to action.

Earned media and organic search

Right now, people could be searching online for your products or services or political messages. But attracting people to your web page or video requires either paid online advertising or earned media, which includes SEO or natural organic search. Within paid options there are strict or predefined character limits for every type of advertisement. In the SEO world, there are tags that need to be populated that are quintessential to your success and they also have predefined character limits. Content providers must learn this–or be left behind, all alone with their inventory–like a billboard in the forest.

Who can benefit from being a better writer?

Anyone whose career involves online writing! Writing with new flair and style, with content that search engines will find, becomes the key to career success in social media, websites, blogs, PR, advertising, marketing, journalism and internal communications. As a result, newly refreshed writing can attract positive attention from supervisors and managers who recommend promotions and salary increases.

A note about content: It’s King!

We search for things large and small on Google. In many ways, we all work for Google now, providing content. We are the audience that searches for content and creates revenue for the search giant. Social Media also plays a key role in search. People want to know more about the companies and individuals they are considering doing business with. Social Media provides that, with sponsored content and user reviews. As we all know, Social Media has changed every Internet relationship.

Digital marketers have been saying ‘Content is King’ for the past decade or so. Should we believe it? (Maybe not)! Every day, content creation and distribution through social media and the Internet grow exponentially. In 2008 Google had indexed one trillion web pages. Google’s updated its total to over 60 Trillion pages of indexed content in 2015. YES, Trillion with a capital T. In 2016 Google updated its press release, having now indexed a remarkable 130 Trillion web pages.

With over 40,000 Google queries every second, there are 3.5 billion daily searches. On YouTube, over 300 hours of new content per minute is uploaded. YouTube’s more than one billion users comprise one third of all people using the Internet, with its audience rising 40 per cent since March 2014. YouTube mobile attracts more viewers between 18 and 49 than the largest cable network in the U.S. Everyone is making content…And people like to follow the herd, right? Content is King! Content is King?

No… it’s not. It may be surprising to know that content is not King. In fact the Emperor has no clothes. Yes, stripped naked right in front of the worldwide audience.

Let’s look at data, applying logic and reasoning. If there are 3.5 billion searches per day, then there are 1.2 trillion searches annually. Do you see a problem with that many yearly searches? Or 60 trillion web pages to choose from? If everyone conducting a Google search visits a multitude of webpages. Then, after an initial search, they only visited one webpage in their life, without revisiting the same page. There would still be trillions and trillions of pages never discovered.

In addition, most content becomes a very sad and sorry time waster. Talented people put time, energy and expertise into content creation that never ever is seen. Creators somehow think, as did Kevin Costner in Field of Dreams, “If I build it, they will come.” Well, that worked in a movie. But it does not accomplish anything in our Google-dominated world today. Whether it’s web pages, videos, marketing messages or product information, most content created on our planet is simply lost in cyberspace.

So what is king? Content, found at the precise moment someone is searching for your product, service, information or the entertainment you’ve created – THAT KIND OF CONTENT IS KING!

I can help you understand how to think differently, when it comes to your content. It will make a huge difference in your career as a content creator, making your bosses and supervisors stand up and notice their search ranking climb up and up, because of you — and my forthcoming book: How to Be a Better Online Writer Overnight.

How to be a better online or digital writer overnight­­ – makes a bold claim, improving your writing in one day. It sounds audacious but it’s true. To begin you just need to learn three two letter words — Of Is and By — and eliminate them. Once applied, this writing system immediately improves almost any sentence, and shortens paragraphs and documents by 20-30 per cent. Use it and there will be clearer, more concise paragraphs with fewer words; mistakes will quickly disappear. Then you can apply my many other writing tips in the book. All have learning exercises to help you master the concepts. It will be self-published soon. Look for it on Amazon. In the meantime, excepts will be regularly published on The PR Writer website.

It’s simple, it’s basic and it works. The technique has been applied and refined among thousands of college and university students, and at major international communications firms. The changes are dramatic. And yes, it will happen overnight. I mean it.

Many cannabis companies and the government issued news releases on Canada Newswire today to celebrate legalization. Their writing, however, was as flabby as a hand-rolled joint. Extra words, word repeats, grammatical errors, passive voices, inattention to the Copy Doctor’s ‘of is and by’ suggestions. Take a look at the A/B comparisons, and how the PR Writing was easily compressed.

Original

OTTAWA, Oct. 17, 2018 /CNW/ – The old approach to cannabis did not work. It let criminals and organized crime profit, while failing to keep cannabis out of the hands of Canadian youth. In many cases, it has been easier for our kids to buy cannabis than cigarettes.(42 words)See full release here.

PR Writer edit

The old approach to cannabis failed. Criminals and organized crime profited, while not keeping cannabis away from Canadian youth. Kids usually can buy cannabis easier than cigarettes. (27 words)

Key changes

Did not work

Failed

It let criminals and organized crime profit

Criminals and organized crime profited

While failing to keep cannabis out of the hands of Canadian youth

While not keeping cannabis away from Canadian youth

It has been easier for our kids to buy cannabis than cigarettes

Kids usually can buy cannabis easier than cigarettes

Original

TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2018 /CNW/ – Beleave is a vertically-integrated Canadian cannabis company headquartered in Oakville, Ontario, that operates streamlined facilities throughout Canada to cultivate high-quality cannabis flower, oil, and extracts with funded capacity in excess of 150,000 kg per year. (35 words)

TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2018 /CNW/ – Cannvas MedTech Inc. (“Cannvas” or the “Company”) (CSE: MTEC) (Frankfurt: 3CM), a leading business technology company in the cannabis space, is pleased to announce its intent, operating under its newly-formed Cannvas Cannabis Acquisitions brand, to install a network of learning kiosks in high-traffic retail areas across Canada to improve accessibility to free and unbiased education about the potential benefits of medical and adult-use cannabis. (64 words)